


Mixed Up

by mikaylalwrites



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Analysis, Character Study, Fake Character Death, Gen, Hurt Robert Chase, Medical Inaccuracies, POV Robert Chase, Post-Canon, Swearing, a little bit, i did do my research though, possibly, the only reason chase doesn't say fuck is because american tv is full of cowards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29581497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikaylalwrites/pseuds/mikaylalwrites
Summary: No matter how many times pain was dealt to him or he dealt pain to others, it ached the same.
Kudos: 8





	Mixed Up

The funeral had been months ago. 

House was his boss and nothing more and besides, he was cold and dead in the ground. Still, Chase couldn’t get over the whole affair. When he was younger and as older Chase thought now, a little naive, he’d all but kissed his boss’s ass. With age he realized his capabilities as a doctor and didn’t feel inclined to stoop to such a low level. Still, he has respected the bastard and if he let himself admit it, he missed the endless shit House gave him as a fellow. Somehow, it made him better in the end. 

Chase thought about all this as he looked himself over in the mirror. He looked worse than ever. His eyes had grown dark and sullen. He needed a shave he knew he was never going to give himself. He looked tired. He was tired. 

He pulled a towel off the rack and dried his hair. Even if every other quality of his once boyish looks had diminished, he still had his, now short but nonetheless flawless, hair. He looked away from the mirror to put on his work clothes. 

There was still something strange about reading his name on the door of the diagnostics department. Some part of him knew it fit yet he still couldn’t help but feel he wasn’t as brilliant as House no matter how many epiphanies he had or cases he solved. And he had solved quite a few. More the past few months than House usually got to in a year. He didn’t view patients as puzzles to pass or play on. He liked to think he hadn’t become as misanthropic as his former boss had been. He couldn’t deny his cynicism had grown after everything he had done. Sometimes his faith in himself was lacking. 

Park and Adams were already waiting for him when he arrived with a new stack of cases. He sat to thumb through them and take the ones he was able to and pass on the ones he couldn’t. No one could save everyone. Not him. Not even House. 

Chase’s eyes scanned a case involving a seven-year-old boy that had suffered a seizure. It was probably a case that could be solved by any other doctor. It could be a multitude of things. Still, he took it. 

“Colin Farrow, seven-year-old boy, presented with a seizure,” Chase said, putting the case file down in front of Adams and Park. 

Adams wasn’t surprised but she let her thoughts be known anyway. “It’s probably a fever. He’s seven.” 

“Could be toxin buildup due to kidney or liver failure,” Chase said. 

“Or it could be a snake bite,” Adams said matter-of-factly. “The other doctors probably missed something.” 

“Every case that comes to us is one where somebody missed something.” 

“What else causes seizures?” Chase asked no one in particular. 

“Head injury,” said Park. 

“Epilepsy,” said Adams. “We could be here all day for nothing.” 

“Or we could save a kid’s life,” Chase pointed out. “Brain tumor.” 

“That’s incredibly rare,” said Adams. 

“Yeah, I know but rare isn’t rare in this department.” 

“Poison,” said Park. 

“Who poisons a seven-year-old?” asked Adams. 

“It wouldn’t be the first case of it,” said Park. 

“Epilepsy is more likely.” 

“EEG to check for brain abnormalities,” Chase instructed his fellows. “CT for head injury.” 

Adams and Park left the room to perform the tests. Chase looked up at the ceiling and allowed himself to think. 

“EEG showed signs of brain abnormalities,” Adams said eventually. He hadn’t noticed her come back in. “Could still be epilepsy.” 

“Seizures with other causes could still affect brain waves.” 

Then, Park came back into the room. “The kid had another seizure. And the CT showed no signs of head injury. There was some inflammation in the brain.” 

“Could be meningitis,” said Adams. 

Chase shook his head. “No neck stiffness, no headache, or fever.” 

“Encephalitis,” said Park. “It can present with flu-like symptoms but doesn’t have to.” 

“So what caused the encephalitis?” asked Adams. 

“They’re usually caused by viral infections,” said Park. “But when I asked Collin’s mom if he’d been sick she said he hadn’t.” 

“Maybe we should ask the kid,” said Chase before getting up. 

“What is the kid going to know that his mother doesn’t?” asked Adams as they made it down the hallway. 

“You’ve never lied and told your parents you weren’t sick?” 

“Sure but they knew I was lying.” 

Chase, Adams, and Park entered the patient’s room. The boy was playing on a handheld console but looked miserable while doing it. 

“You must be Dr. Chase,” said a fairly young woman from the corner of the room. 

“Are you Colin’s mother?” he asked her. She nodded. “I’m going to ask your son some questions.” 

He pulled up a chair next to the boy’s hospital bed. “Hey Colin, I’d like to ask you some questions if that’s okay.” The boy nodded, still looking at the handheld. “Have you been feeling sick? Any coughing? Stomach pain?” 

The boy looked at Chase strangely then said, “No. I haven’t been, haven’t been sick.” 

“You’re sure? You can be honest with me.” 

“Yeah.” 

“I told you he hasn’t been sick,” said the mother. 

“We just have to be sure,” said Chase. “We think Colin has encephalitis. He has inflammation in his brain.” He turned back to Colin. “Have you been bitten by anything?” 

The boy shook his head. 

“Has he been anywhere where rabid animals might be?” 

The mother looked offended. “I don’t take my son near rabid animals. What kind of parent do you think I am?” 

Chase tried to keep cool. “Okay. No rabid animals.” 

“Were there any autoimmune diseases in the family history?” Chase asked Park and Adams. 

“Yes,” said Park. “His paternal aunt has lupus.” 

Chase stepped towards the door and motioned for them to come with him. Once they were out in the hall with him, he said. “Rasmussen’s encephalitis. It fits considering the kid hasn’t been sick or bitten by a tick.” 

“The rates of Rasmussen’s are less than two cases per 10 million,” said Adams. “And it doesn’t-” 

“Have a cure,” finished Chase. “I know. We can treat the inflammation with acetaminophen.” 

“But he’ll still have near-constant seizures that cause hemiparesis, loss of speech, and loss of motor function. He’ll be permanently disabled.” 

“Rasmussen’s happens most often in kids under 10 and he hasn’t had the common viral infections for mild encephalitis. He has a family history of autoimmune diseases,” said Chase. “If you think I’m wrong, run a blood test for viral infections.” 

“Who’s going to tell his mom?” Park asked. 

“I will,” Chase said. “I've done it plenty of times.” 

“It never gets easier,” said Park. 

“No.” 

Adams and Park walked further down the hall, leaving Chase alone in front of the glass separating him from the lives he was about to shatter. He made eye contact with the mother and she exited the room. 

“So, is it encephalitis?” she asked him. 

“Yeah but it’s a rare type, Rasmussen’s encephalitis.” 

“Can you treat it?” 

“We can treat the inflammation but it’s likely he will be permanently disabled.” 

“Will it kill him?” 

Chase shook his head. “No, and after about a year, his condition will be stable and unlikely to get worse.” 

“But it’ll change his brain?” 

“Yes.” 

Colin’s mother didn’t cry. She made a pained and conflicted facial expression that somehow felt worse. He hadn’t given her son a death sentence but it was something equally life-changing and permanent. 

He allowed himself a glance through the window at Colin who had fallen asleep. He didn’t have kids of his own but the peaceful sight of the boy made him understand the desire to have them. 

He felt numb on the way to his car and sat in silence for a long while when he finally made it into the driver’s seat. No matter how many times pain was dealt to him or he dealt pain to others, it ached the same.

**Author's Note:**

> i've never done a character study before but i'm fairly sure this one ran a little long. 
> 
> overall i think it was an interesting look into how i interpret chase.
> 
> come talk to me on tumblr: [violetsbaudelaire](https://violetsbaudelaire.tumblr.com)


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